Edward Hopper

Girl at a Sewing Machine is the first of many 'window' pictures Hopper would produce during his career, in which light and the effects it creates are often more important than the subject being depicted. In this case, removing the young woman at the sewing machine would affect the composition very little, while removing the bands of light and shadow on the wall would render it decidedly uninteresting.

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Nighthawks is Edward Hopper's most famous work. Though commonly seen as an allegory of loneliness, Hopper himself saw the painting as more of a warning of the predators that lurk in the night. The isolated figure at the counter is all the more intriguing for the dramatic shadows which largely obscure him - perhaps an allusion to the lurking danger of the night that Hopper referred to. As is typical of Hopper's work, movement and interaction between the figures is kept to a minimum, though the counter clerk does seem to be exchanging a few words with the central male customer. The diagonals of the picture are carefully considered, which lends the piece a strong sense of depth and something of a cinematic quality, which is further emphasized by the dramatic contrast of the stark electric light of the diner and the dark night outside. The diner itself was based on a real one in Greenwich Village, New York, which was Hopper's home neighborhood.


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The title and seemingly upbeat subject matter of Summertime belie the pessimistic undertone of the piece. The white cotton dress and confident air of the young woman at the center create the feeling of a hot summer day, despite the cold grey tones of the imposing building. This optimism is offset by the billowing curtain in the window; a motif suggestive of a change in the weather or an approaching summer storm. The sense of foreboding is further enhanced when the subject of the woman's gaze is taken into consideration - it is unseen by the viewer and represents the unknown. Together, these suggest the woman's confidence may be shortlived...

As her favorite painting, Summertime accompanied its owner, Dora Sexton Brown, to her beach house every summer.


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Though often compared to another great American artist, Norman Rockwell, Hopper himself hated the comparison. Hopper felt his work lacked the sentimentality of Rockwell's; so when his wife remarked that the woman in Cape Cod Morning was checking if the weather was fine enough to hang out her washing, Hopper retorted briskly "Did I say that?". Exactly what the woman in Cape Cod Morning is looking at remains an intriguing question.


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The highly unusual composition of First Row Orchestra accentuates and heightens the voyeuristic feel of many of Hopper's works, creating a strong impression of a snapshot of time.


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